After an uneventful Mac and Cheese dinner, Tess went up to bed to try to change her eyes a little quicker than she has been. She thought it would be only right, if she was going to be using them without the use of training one day. She might just be in real danger and might need to manipulate the wind with more ease. How would she look if she asked her enemy to wait a minute so she could empty her mind of all thoughts so she could fight? 'Yeah, I think I'll go practice...' she mused as she headed for her door. When she jingled her key in the lock and opened it though, Tess was pleasantly surprised, seeing Chase sitting on her bed, reminding her of a certain raven haired man that loved sneaking up on her.

"So you and Itachi just won't rest until my heart explodes in my chest, huh? You're both off to a good start." She said as she headed to the bathroom. Chase hopped off her friends' bed to lean in the threshold of the doorway.

"Itachi told me you apologized to him today. Why?" Tess opened the medicine cabinet, taking out her special pills, the ones she NEEDED to take, Chase noted, before she turned and adressed her.

"I just thought it would be only right. It was weird, you know? I couldn't get my mind off him in my meditation today. And then as soon as I said that I was going up to talk to him, my eyes changed like that!" Tess said adding the snap of her fingers. "And then as I thought more about it, I came up with some things that will help me talk to him. I thought of the things you said. Like how he saved you. I thought he has to have a heart somewhere if he's helping people out. And he hasn't killed me yet, despite how many times I've did and said things to him. It was...it just felt...right, I guess." Tess was undressing as she said this, putting on her big grey t-shirt, only reaching her mid-thigh and showing off the small butterfly tattoo, Chase noted with a smile.

"Well I'm glad you guys can get along enough to talk at least. At least one of you apologized." Chase said, making herself comfortable on Tess' bed, her legs folded casually as her hands were entwined underneath her breasts, gently tapping her slender fingers on each hand. Tess took her hair out of her messy bun, letting it fall down her back. 'I'll practice that eye thing tomorrow...' she thought sleepily as she climbed on Chase, only stopping to lay on her stomach. Chase unfolded her fingers to gently run them through Tess' shiny raven tresses, unknowingly making it agonizingly hard for Tess to keep her eyes open.

"Chase..." Tess mumbled, Chase's eyes were closed as she answered "Hm?"

"Itachi's room is beautiful." Chase snorted before the giggle reached her throat.

"Yeah, his bed feels like he flew into the air and took clouds out of the sky. Did you get to feel it?"

"If I knew his bed was like that, I would have apologized weeks ago." Chase chuckled, making Tess' head bounce up and down. "You're so stupid. Go to sleep."

"Yes Mama. Goodnight." Tess yawned as she nuzzled Chase's stomach.

"Goodnight, Baby Cakes." Chase replied groggily, before both women settled down to sleep.

---

The security at the Konoha Insane Asylum, pounded on the the door to the control room, desperately trying to break it down but to no avail. Tempest looked over her shoulder, smiling at the door, before looking down at the two dead security guards and dr. Misagi lying face down on the floor. She's guessing he must have th biggest headache, since she snatched his eye out of the socket to get into the control room in the first place. Tempest turned back to the controls, pushing rapidly on the computer keys to find what she was looking for. Tempest was many things, besides the cold blooded killer she is today. Her father was a Computer Specialst and taught his life's work to her. At first she didn't really care for it, but now she wishes she didn't kill him over that little squabble they had, this stuff had actually come in handy.

After a few 'Access Denied' shining on her with mocking yellow letters, she had finally got what she was looking for. Tempest swung out of her chair and looked down to the new one eyed Kenshi Misagi, with a sadistic smile.

"Oh, poor Dr. Misagi..." She said, taking his head up in her hands. "Geez, look at that shiner you got there. Might wanna put some ice on that."

"Why...why are you doing this?" Misagi asked frightfully, wincing as Tempest brushed a strand of hair from his sweat drenched forehead.

"Because...I have business elsewhere. And it doesn't involve being held in a mental insitution. I must take my leave. So, Misagi..." Tempest grabbed either side of his head, turning it sharply the other side, snapping his neck. "I bid you adieu.." Suddenly Tempest looked at the Control Room door, seeing that she had to make her escape quickly, since the door was now being approached by the fabulous ANBU black ops.

Tempest quickly took her leather coat off the back of the Control Room chair and looked for the exit, smirking when she looked up, seeing her ticket to freedom.

The Anbu and the Asylum Security broke down the Control Room, looking on at the grusome display on the floor.

"Where did she go?" came the whisper of the male ANBU under her bird mask.

"Neji?"

Neji looked behind him to give his collegue, Lee, his full attention. Neji looked up, seeing the open vent at the ceiling. The konoha nin turned to his squad members,

"Tsunade-sama isn't gonna like this..."

---

Chase turned out to be quite comfortable a pillow, Tess mused as she got ready for her 2nd day of training. She was careful not to wake her friend up, trying to wash and dress as quickly as she could.

After looking in the mirror, dressed up in now red and black basketball shorts sneakers and tank top, she was ready to go.

When Tess opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see her escort there. Itachi looked over her shoulder, seeing Chase sleeping peacefully in Tess' bed.

"We were talking, and she took my spot. Not to be rude, but why are you here? I know where the training grounds are." Tess said as she closed the door behind her.

"You won't be going to the training grounds. Pein said you have to be inside to learn this excercise." Tess narrowed her eyes in confusion but shrugged it off. She'll find out when she'll get to where she's going. Tess and Itachi walked together in silence until the Uchiha surprised her by speaking.

"What did Chase talk to you about?" He wanted to know.

Tess shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh, just things. Nothing really serious. Why? Did you think we were talking about you?" Itachi was silent and Tess smirked.

"Well we were. She was waiting for me, almost made my heart burst, but I'm fine, since your so eager to know." She heard the soft snort come from Itachi, as saying 'You Wish' before she continued. "She wanted to know if we were going to get along from now on. She obviously didn't get the answers she wanted from you. So I guess after she left your room, she came in mine for answers."

"And what did you tell her?"

"Itachi, you act like we did something we weren't supposed to be doing. I told her I apologized, happy?" Itachi turned back to look where he was going, ignoring Tess' sarcastic tone. He doesn't understand why Chase would go over and and get confirmation from Tess after telling her what happened. What did she think he was? Lying to her? This didn't make sense. Chase never did anything like this before. Something was obviously going on, and now he was going to ask Chase what was going on. There was something behind Tess' apology. No, Chase probably didn't know what was going on.

He had to speak to Pein.

"Itachi?" The missing nin blinked, seeing that Tess looked...concerned?

Wait..had he been staring?

"Itachi? You stopped, are we here?" Tess asked a little louder. Itachi just blanked out for no reason. She had been calling his name for at least five minutes. It was starting to creep her out.

Itachi looked to the door, leading to the other training room, what do you know? They were here.

"Deidara is waiting for you." He stated before leaving, deep in his thoughts.

Tess looked at Itachi's retreating back, slightly worried. He looked like something was troubing him.

'Eh, he'll get over it. What ever it is, he'll figure it out. He's like Batman.' Tess held in her chuckle at the image of Itachi running around in tights. That was going to be her fuel for today, she thought as she opened the door.

---

As Tess opened the door, she turned, seeing the wide hall the Akatsuki called their 'Other Training Grounds'. The hall had one lone window, the rest of the room was just wall and ceiling. Deidara waited for her against the wall, throwing up and catching a navy blue rubber ball. Tess made her way towards Deidara with narrowed eyes, wondering what he has in store for her today.

"Hey, Tess, yeah. Bet you're wondering what I'm doing with this ball, un?"

"No, I thought we were going to play catch today. Of course I'm wondering what you're doing with the ball." Tess said sarcastically. Deidara smiled as he brushed past her, going towards a pole, balancing the ball on it.

"Since Pein told me wind requires concentration, un, and since you're able to manipulate the wind now, yeah, I want you to do something very simple." Deidara said gesturing to the ball. "I want you to push the ball off the pole...without the use of your hands, un. I should warn you now that this does not take a day to learn, so you're gonna be on this until you do...yeah." Tess smiled at Deidara in challenge.

"Please, I bet I can learn this in a day. I'm a natural at this kind of thing, you just watch..." Tess closed her eyes, tighty at first before they turned to foggy white. Deidara sat down against the wall, propping one leg up for his arm to rest casually on top while his other leg lay straight on the hardwood floor, patiently waiting through half lidded eyes.

This was gonna be interesting...

Tess breathed in and out through her nose and mouth, swinging her arms, trying to make wind, Deidara guessed, as her white eyes focused only on the ball. As soon as she thought that she gathered enough, she pushed the wind she made towards the ball, but, like Deidara told her, nothing happened. The rock nin, looked past her, still seeing the ball, pretty as you please, on the pole he placed it on. It didn't wobble or anything.

"Weird, yeah...it's still there, un." He said in feigned puzzlement, like he too, expected it to blow off the pole. "I guess you'll have to try it again, yeah..."

Tess glared daggers at him over her shoulder before she stared back at the ball, trying her hardest to concetrate and knock it down.

---

Itachi opened the door to the Leader's office, without knocking. Pein was sitting at his throne as usual, his Fuck Toy behind him, like a shadow.

"Don't you knock?" Pein's shadow asked snobbishly. Itachi only glanced at her before laying his eyes on the man he came to see.

"Be quiet Konan." Pein stated sharply before adressing his star member. "Itachi, is there anything you need?"

"What are you trying to do?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

Itachi stared at pein, with the same look he gives everyone else.

Pein knew better than to play Itachi for a fool.

"What are you trying to do with Tess?"

"I'm not doing anything, Itachi, but trying to get my members to get along. Why? Is that wrong?" He asked as he entwined his fingers together, his voice filled with too much innocence.

Way to much innocence for a man like him.

"I can't have you kill her because she said the wrong thing to you, Itachi. I thought you would be happy she apologized."

"How did you know she apologized to me?"

"I know everything that goes on in these headquarters. And how I found out is none of your concern. Just know you will not have to worry about her mouth anymore." Itachi narrowed his eyes a moment. Who did this guy think he was dealing with? Did he know who he was? Why, he has half a mind to imbedd a kunai in his little mistress' throat.

'No' He thought quickly. No, he would act on anger. He was not Kakuzu. Itachi was a civilized psychopath. He thought and planned things before he slaughtered. And this requires thought and contemplation. He would wait until he found out more information, and then he would raise hell if it wasn't something he liked. But for now, Itachi would make the leader think, just as he had been thinking.

"I apologize, Pein-sama, for barging in. Thank you for your time." And with that Itachi bowed and left.

Hn. That would keep him up all night.

---

It seemed the harder she concentrated, the harder it was to knock the ball down.

And that's how the day consisted of. But Tess didn't give up, and Deidara had a new found respect for her. Even when Deidara left to go get a book to read, she didn't even stop to take a break. He knew exactly what she was doing wrong, but Pein-sama told him she had to figure out all the elements by herself. And he was trying hard not to tell her, and he didn't want to ruin it for her. He wanted to see the excitement in her eyes like the first time she learned to change her eye color. She was adorable.

Tess was drenched in sweat, and she was trying so hard to knock the ball down, and at times it would wobble, but that was as close knocking it down as she got.

"Okay Tess, I think we should stop for today, un. You were close, though, yeah." Tess looked at him before holding her hands out. Deidara rolled his eye, before making his way towards her, snatching her up bridal style and heading out of the training room.

"That ball is dumb. I swear it's doing it on purpose. It's mocking me, just standing there." Tess mumbled against the crook of his neck.

"You just have to concentrate a little more. You'll get it, love, yeah. Japan wasn't built in a day." Deidara kicked the Training Room door open.

'He's right...' She thought, though still upset that she didn't get the ball to fall, but she shouldn't be upset. It'll just take longer than she expected. "Thank you, Monkey. You old soft serve.."

Deidara smiled as he decended up the stairs. "You're just lucky I didn't take that little bet, Kakuzu would have had a field day with this."

"Thank you for that, Dei." Tess winced as Deidara kicked open her door, laying her on her bed. Deidara tried to get up, but Tess had no intention on letting him go.

"Um..Tessh, yeah."

"I don't wanna part with my teddy bear yet. I thought Chase was comfortable, but you are way more comfortable than her..." Tess said.

"Ish not that, um.." Tess looked down, her eyes narrowed. "You're shuffocating me, yeah." Tess immediately let him go, so he could take an exagerated gasp of air. Tess hit his shoulder playfully. "It wasn't even that serious." She laughed as Deidara rolled around, so that she was on top of him and he was on bottom.

"Those can kill, yeah. I thought I saw my life flash before my eyes, un."

"Oh, shut up. Pillows don't talk, last time I checked." Tess mumbled as she slolwy closed her eyes.